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We all know a byproduct of growing mushrooms is co2, and we all know that plants thrive on co2

my question is: if i ran hoses from an intake vent on a plant grow box, to the exhaust of a cabinet full of colonizing/colonized tubs, would i see a signifact increase in the co2 levels in the plant grow box?

here are a couple pictures:

Front:

Back:

obviously at the top of the Plant Grow Box, there is an inline fan,and it is pulling air in through vents and pushing it out the top.

i probably should have labeled everything so let me know if you have questions about the drawing

also, something that i'm concerned of: 4x 124qt tubs would not produce enough co2 to be beneficial in any way to 5-6 vegging plants.

I was thinking about doing the same damn thing, although I didn't have cool schematics like you. I see no reason why it wouldn't work in theory, although I don't know if there would be guaranteed increase plant growth.

Quote:myco99 said:I was thinking about doing the same damn thing, although I didn't have cool schematics like you. I see no reason why it wouldn't work in theory, although I don't know if there would be guaranteed increase plant growth.

if only i had a co2 meter to check the difference.

i know RR has one, maybe he (or anyone with one for that matter) could chime in with what he/they noticed the difference in co2 levels was

there is actually a company that sells a bucket with used mushroom compost and an aquarium air pump down in it. Saw it at a hydro ponic store. but they charge you for the compost you could use your own and may get something extra.

Quote:bam said:there is actually a company that sells a bucket with used mushroom compost and an aquarium air pump down in it. Saw it at a hydro ponic store. but they charge you for the compost you could use your own and may get something extra.

if you had a ppm reader for co2 gas you can fined out how much c02 it gives in an hour.my logic behind this is you want the c02 to sit with the plant's for a bit. so finding an amount of time that enough gas from the mush grow to be beneficial to the plant's. then every time that time comes around suckout into the plant grow. let co2 saturated air sit for till it gets to hot in their or its time to empty the mush grow air again.

on the other hand fining out if the built up gas in the mush grow will harm them then you will know if it is even worth it.

Quote:pblcenmy1 said:you would need 1000 square feet of mushrooms for any significant increase in the CO2 level. Anyone have 1000 square feet of mushrooms.

You'd have better luck just blowing on the thing. Or blow up a bunch of balloons (get light headed for a couple minutes) quick buzz then pop one every hour.

can you cite something or tell me why you think this? do you have a ppm reader?

do you have any math to back this up?

Quote:simbad42 said:if you had a ppm reader for co2 gas you can fined out how much c02 it gives in an hour.my logic behind this is you want the c02 to sit with the plant's for a bit. so finding an amount of time that enough gas from the mush grow to be beneficial to the plant's. then every time that time comes around suckout into the plant grow. let co2 saturated air sit for till it gets to hot in their or its time to empty the mush grow air again.

on the other hand fining out if the built up gas in the mush grow will harm them then you will know if it is even worth it.

one more thing ppm gas readers cost an arm and a leg

problem is the inline fan has to run constantly to scrub the air for smell. i know people use co2 tanks while running a scrubber. maybe letting the co2 levels raise in the fungus chamber and then "burping" it into the plant chamber with another fan would work?

once again though none of that is important if we don't actually know how hight the co2 levels would get.

you can find ppm gas readers for under 200 online, maybe investing in one isn't such a bad idea...

Quote:nachohippie said:it would not even be readable in a closet not a high enough raise to matter ina room

well not only is it not a closet or a room, but it's a 3x3x7 box.

I'm not saying you are wrong, but do you have anything i could look at or cite to help me do the math?

i know it's probably not large amounts of co2, but i'd like to know how much (approximately) it is, if it's negligible, then so be it, but if all i have to do to double the co2 levels in a box that size is run some tubing, then that is a easy, awesome addition that i would love to do.

Quote:Doc_T said:Most plants that are grown inside boxes by Shroomery members don't want all that much humidity.

ah but if you see in the drawing, there are tubs within the box that are self contained, as well as moving air through the vents and out the exhaust holes on the bottom, so none of the air going into the plant chamber is all that humid, and even if it's a little humid, maryjane loves a little humidity.

Quote:Citizen13 said:problem is the inline fan has to run constantly to scrub the air for smell. i know people use co2 tanks while running a scrubber.

Even if you were using a tank or propane burner, CO2 levels would only get marginally higher than normal if your fan is running constantly. Usually when people add CO2 to their grow, the light is on a closed intake/exhaust circuit so it can run constantly, while the room itself is evacuated about once an hour.

atmospheric co2 levels run around 300ppm with anenrichment program you want toboost levels toabout 1500ppm to see signifagnt yeild incressi just dont think the tubs will give you that high of a jump before the box would have to be evacuated

--------------------send guns, money ,lawyers, and drugs its been a long night

Quote:Citizen13 said:problem is the inline fan has to run constantly to scrub the air for smell. i know people use co2 tanks while running a scrubber.

Even if you were using a tank or propane burner, CO2 levels would only get marginally higher than normal if your fan is running constantly. Usually when people add CO2 to their grow, the light is on a closed intake/exhaust circuit so it can run constantly, while the room itself is evacuated about once an hour.

Quote:nachohippie said:atmospheric co2 levels run around 300ppm with anenrichment program you want toboost levels toabout 1500ppm to see signifagnt yeild incressi just dont think the tubs will give you that high of a jump before the box would have to be evacuated

Quote:pblcenmy1 said:you would need 1000 square feet of mushrooms for any significant increase in the CO2 level. Anyone have 1000 square feet of mushrooms.

If that were the case, we're all wasting a lot of money on fresh air exchange. Even in my small mini-greenhouses with under 20 square feet of mushroom substrates, if I block off the vents, the CO2 level will go to 1500 PPM in two to three hours, from an ambient of less than 500 PPM.

That said, with constant air being pumped through the plant greenhouse, you won't see a significant boost in CO2 inside. The downside is the draw from the fans in the plant greenhouse will dry out your substrates in the other container by pulling too much air through them. I'd avoid it.RR

Quote:pblcenmy1 said:you would need 1000 square feet of mushrooms for any significant increase in the CO2 level. Anyone have 1000 square feet of mushrooms.

If that were the case, we're all wasting a lot of money on fresh air exchange. Even in my small mini-greenhouses with under 20 square feet of mushroom substrates, if I block off the vents, the CO2 level will go to 1500 PPM in two to three hours, from an ambient of less than 500 PPM.

That said, with constant air being pumped through the plant greenhouse, you won't see a significant boost in CO2 inside. The downside is the draw from the fans in the plant greenhouse will dry out your substrates in the other container by pulling too much air through them. I'd avoid it.RR

wow 1500 really?

maybe i could brainstorm a way of harvesting that co2 into another chamber for use in the plant box inbetween evacuations. that way i could use a much less powerful fan to pull the co2 out and not worry about there being any chance of me drying out my substrate.

any ideas?

edit:

if i ran the air from the mushroom chamber through the top of a minifridge and out the other side with a very very very very low powered fan, would the low temperatures seperate the co2 from the other gases leaving the bottom of the minifridge with a high amount of co2? or would even the slightest air current mix it all together and just end up being a really expensive air conditioner for my room?